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Take a trip “Over the Rainbow” with local burgeoning young actors and musicians next week as Christian Youth Theater Tri-Valley presents the stage musical version of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Bankhead Theater.
The shows, running from next Thursday through Sunday, help commemorate a milestone anniversary for CYT Tri-Valley — which was also recently named the new resident children’s theater company for the Bankhead.
“CYT Tri-Valley is thrilled to be celebrating 10 years of serving our community and what better way to do it than with a beloved musical like ‘The Wizard of Oz,'” artistic director Kristin Baer-Werder told Embarcadero Media Foundation.
“‘Oz’ was our second production as a company and had a cast of 13. Now, as the newest resident theatre company at the Bankhead, we’ll have over 100 kids participating in the cast, crew and an all-student orchestra of 16,” said Baer-Werder, who was one of the troupe’s co-founders back in 2014.
“These kids have put together an amazing production that will have you dancing in the aisles — and one audience member gets to perform on stage at every show,” she added. “This great family entertainment will introduce a new generation to the story we’ve loved our whole lives. What a great way to kick off the summer.”
A retelling of the classic L. Frank Baum story and 1939 movie about Dorothy Gale’s adventures in the magical land of Oz, the CYT Tri-Valley production will feature two casts of actors 8 to 18 years old performing three shows each. The “Emerald Cast” features Kelilah Pape as Dorothy and Abigail Baird as the Wicked Witch, and the “Ruby Cast” sees Lylah Harvey as Dorothy and April Clark as the Wicked Witch.
Show times are 7 p.m. June 13, 14 and 15, and 2 p.m. June 14, 15 and 16 at the Bankhead in downtown Livermore. Tickets are available online exclusively at livermorearts.org.
A portion of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Kinship, Adoptive and Foster Parent Association (KAFPA), which was the nonprofit beneficiary selected by CYT Tri-Valley’s student leadership program. The group’s production is being presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of the Tams-Witmark Collection, officials said.
